Watch: David Johnson receives special message from idol Emmitt Smith
@DavidJohnson31 thank you for picking me out as the one to inspire you. Good luck to you and the @AZCardinals and God bless... pic.twitter.com/N6BLoi3IdB
— Emmitt Smith (@EmmittSmith22) December 21, 2016
It looks like David Johnson's dream of meeting Emmitt Smith will soon come true.
A week after Johnson penned "A Tribute to My Idol, Emmitt Smith" for the Players' Tribune, Smith tweeted a video message to the Arizona Cardinals running back thanking him for his kind words.
"I don't know what it is about me that captured your mind, your emotions, and your imagination, but I'm just thankful God placed me in your heart and in your spirit," Smith said.
Johnson noted in the piece that he's come close to meeting Smith a few times over the years, but it hasn't happened yet. Near the end, he writes, "Emmitt Smith is pretty much why I am a football player. And I'm hoping that someday soon I'll be able to tell him that in person."